Paint and Body Basics - Paint Now

A Back-To-Basics Approach To Making It Smooth & Making It Shine

Quick Notes
What We Did
Give you an inside feel on paint and body basics and show how to get it done

2/33

Final Word
Don't be afraid of trying something new

What It Costs (Approx)
Prices will vary, based on experience and level of quality

When it comes to automotive painting, it's no secret that many significant changes have come about in recent years. New paints, new techniques, and new equipment are things to take into consideration when asking yourself the time-honored question: Can I do it myself?

Those of us with a strong determination to handle our own tasks will no doubt find a way to get our hands on some hammers, dollies, and paint guns and learn by trial and error how to refurbish our car's appearance. But what is the best way to feed that desire to perform some body and paint basics and where do we start? Of course the best place to start is usually at the beginning, and when it comes to basic paint- and bodywork, that means out in the driveway.

Like performance modifications, developing paint- and bodyworking skills that you can take pride in should start with the simple bolt-ons. We recommend that you save the frame-off resto or that ghost-flamed candy-pearl paintjob for a later date. For starters, it's best to take on a simple project that you can handle with a minimum of tools, and one that will allow you to see and appreciate your work by the end of the day or weekend. Once you've built up your confidence and skill level, you can move on to the bigger stuff.

Everyone has a vision of what they want their car to look like. This visualization is actually the first step of any custom bodywork or paintjob and it determines how extensive your skills must be. Before you let your imagination get too far out of control (which is an easy thing to do!), you must develop that mental image of your car while taking into consideration your skills, tools, time, and budget.

3/33

Advanced body mods are often what you see on some of the featured cars in CHP, but the very basic can be something as simple as a spoiler upgrade or other bolt-on piece from the aftermarket. A simple mod can be just as gratifying as an extensive one if done properly. Although painting and bodywork are closely related, basic bodywork is something that you can take on in your own driveway. Painting can be done in the garage, but unlike the mechanical aspects of working on your car, you must take several things into consideration. Things like compressed air, ventilation, overspray, adequate lighting, and chemical handling are often taken for granted in a shop, but could pose problems at home. The obvious answer to this dilemma was to take our basic painting needs to a place equipped with a spray booth. While some shops rent out their facilities if business is slow, we chose to seek out an institution of higher learning where beginners and pros alike can go to develop or hone their skills.

Located in a modest business center not more than five minutes from Auto Club Speedway is PPG's West Coast Training Center in Rancho Cucamonga, California. There, hidden behind a façade of what appears to be your typical small business office awaits a painter's fantasyland, rooms filled with candies, pearls, and shiny silver spray guns, not to mention a wealth of information to be had on the subject of automotive painting. The PPG Training Center is where, under the guidance of instructors Paul Stoll and Frank Ramos, students learn the latest painting techniques using the most up-to-date paints and equipment. It is no secret that waterborne-based paint technology is changing the automotive refinishing industry. This includes everything from the materials and techniques, to the equipment. We were familiar with solvent-based materials including lacquers, enamels, and urethanes, all of which have been around for decades. We were more than a little apprehensive about waterborne painting, but since this relatively new formula is where automotive refinishing is headed, our quest for a basic experience started with something new.

MORE PHOTOS

VIEW FULL GALLERY

xclose

Paint and Body Basics - Paint Now

If you are planning to paint your car, you'll want to know what type of paint to use and how to apply it. Basic body mods are those that require little or no fabrication and can be performed with ordinary handtools. Body and underhood bolt-ons fall into the very basic category and are the perfect starting point to learn how to work on the body of your car and color-match the paint. Clean-air materials are where it's at, so for a first-hand learning experience with PPG's new Envirobase High Performance waterborne basecoat paint, we decided to try it out.

For the latest information and demonstration of proper technique using waterborne paint, we took our parts over to the PPG's Los Angeles Training Center in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. There, PPG Technical Sales Instructor Frank Ramos covered many of the topics that are part of his classroom discussions. Students range from the do-it-yourselfer to experienced pros. Here, Frank looks up the color formula on the computerized database to mix up a small portion of Envirobase High Performance waterborne basecoat in Arctic White.

The first step was to prepare the surface of each part. Preparation for a waterborne basecoat requires sanding with a finer grit due to the paint's thinner dry film. This means that the actual solid layer that remains on the substrate after the reducer has evaporated is much thinner than that of a solvent basecoat. A thinner film will conform more to surface irregularities and grit marks. Solvent bases tend to hide more with a thicker film. Larger panels can be sanded with a random orbital dual-action sander but these pieces were simply scuffed by hand. Frank is working on the parts in the Training Center's prep station, which ventilates particles down and away. Without forced-air ventilation, you should always wear a NIOSH-approved respirator.

A more familiar way of prepping for paint is done in the driveway. Having an air compressor is required for operating air tools but is not an absolute necessity. Small parts such as these can be prepped by hand. If you have the luxury of pneumatic power, you'll want to use a random-orbital sander rather than a fixed orbital. Remember to always place the pad onto the surface first and then activate the sander. This will prevent the pad from free-spinning and cutting into the surface.

The basic Envirobase HP basecoat consists of the paint, which will come from your paint supplier in non-corrosive plastic containers, and the reducers. There are a number of Envirobase components available for specific applications and special conditions. You can view the entire line of products on the PPG website. Waterborne materials should always be stored in non-corrosive containers.

This is what you might find behind the scenes in the mixing room of your paint supplier. This is the PPG Training Center's Envirobase HP toner system.

You will note the absence of an air-powered stirring apparatus that is part of solvent-based toner system.

This is what a container of Envirobase toner looks like. Dispensing the waterborne toner requires just a quick 2-second shake of the container before it is poured out.

This can be a big time-saver since mixing a solvent-borne base color requires several minutes of agitation. Each toner must be carefully weighed according to the formula.

Another method for matching a color is to refer to samples in a color deck, also known as color chips. This is oftentimes more accurate than ordering by the manufacturer's color code due to variations in factory paint, the fade factor of older paintjobs, etc. While most of us will leave the mixing to a paint supplier, knowing what takes place during the mixing process may be helpful if color adjustments are necessary.

The PPG Training Center is set up as any well-equipped shop should be. A modular stand is used to prop up the parts for painting. Masking paper will keep overspray to a minimum.

Prior to stepping into the booth, a Sata HVLP gun is loaded with sealer in a disposable cup liner.

DIY single-stage
PPG's Omni system of paints is solvent-based and although there are fewer color choices available, it is an economical choice for painting your car. The single-stage paint is a good choice for doing it yourself in terms of simplicity and cost.

Prior to applying any sealer, basecoat, or clearcoat, always gear up with an approved respirator or a supplied-air hood such as this Sata Vision 2000. You only have one set of lungs, so protect them whether you are spraying solvent- or water-based material.

All spray guns have a dual-action trigger. Pulling the trigger halfway releases air only. You can use the gun in this way to blow the parts off one last time while wiping with a tack rag to remove any dust particles that might otherwise ruin a nice finish.

Two coats of sealer are applied to the parts, allowing a flash time of 10 minutes between each coat.

While the sealer is setting up, use the time to clean your equipment. Putting this off will only make the clean-up more difficult.

The waterborne basecoat is being applied here. Ramos has switched from a standard HVLP gun to a special Satajet 3000 designed for applying waterborne paint.

The internal components of this gun are corrosion resistant.

Close examination of these photos shows the texture and matte finish of the waterborne paint.

Do not be alarmed at the orange-peel look. This is normal.

A fairly recent addition to the painter's tool box is the dryer. A small handheld dryer such as the Sata Dry Jet is ideal for drying the small parts. The wall-mounted dryers that you see in the corner of the booth would be used when a complete car is painted.

Most clearcoats consist of two components: the clear and the catalyst. A fast drying high-temp catalyst is recommended for spot painting or parts painting. A medium catalyst should be used for complete paintjobs to allow enough time for coating the entire car without dry spots.

With the aid of the dryer, the waterborne base is ready for clear within 10 minutes. Always follow the paint manufacturer's recommendations that are printed on the label regarding reduction, application, and flash times. Two coats of clear are applied with about a 10-minute flash time between coats.

The finished paintjob! Total time from sanding to final clearcoat was a mere two hours.

Whether choosing to do it yourself with a budget-priced paint or having a pro do it with the latest waterborne system, painting remains one of the most rewarding modifications that you can make.

One of the main advantages to a paint system such as Envirobase High Performance is the fast setup that allowed us to paint in the morning and reinstall the parts that afternoon.

Get that custom paint job for your Chevrolet Corvette with these tips on a custom car painting, See us paint a 1976 Chevrolet Corvette, Featured in the 2008 May issue of Corvette Fever or at corvettefever.com. » Read More